1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to rack mounted chassis systems employed in central offices. More particularly, this invention relates to mechanisms for preventing the propagation of fire through such rack mounted chassis systems.
2. Description of the Background Art
Often fire safety requirements prohibit the easy propagation of fire in central offices and other facilities where rack mounted chassis systems are often deployed. Specifically, the rack mounted chassis systems typically include a plurality of chassis that are mounted in aligned racks. Each chassis typically includes aligned vents to provide for the natural convection cooling upwardly through each of the chassis. Unfortunately, this path for natural convection cooling also creates a path or chimney for the propagation of fire.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvement which overcomes the aforementioned inadequacies of the prior art devices and provides an improvement which is a significant contribution to the advancement of the rack mounted chassis art.
Another object of this invention is to provide a shutter mechanism for blocking the propagation of fire through rack mounted chassis systems.
Another object of this invention is to provide a shutter mechanism comprising at least a pair of apertured shutters which are placed in an overlapping contiguous manner and moveable between (1) an aligned position (i.e., open) wherein the holes in the apertured shutters are aligned and (2) a blocking position (i.e., closed) wherein the holes in the apertured shutters are not aligned such that the shutter mechanism may be employed within rack-mounted chassis systems to allow the free-flow of air therethrough and upon sensing a fire condition, to block the propagation of fire therethrough.
Another object of this invention is to provide a shutter mechanism including alignable shutters of material having alignable holes therethrough, wherein such shutters are spring-loaded to be urged toward a non-aligned position, but held in such an aligned position by means of a fusible link which fuses upon exceeding a predetermined temperature whereupon the shutters are then urged to the non-aligned or closed position so as to stop the propagation of fire therethrough.
The foregoing has outlined some of the pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed to be merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
For the purpose of summarizing this invention, this invention comprises a shutter mechanism for minimizing the opportunity for fire to spread by shutting off the vents often used in a natural convection cooled chassis. It accomplishes this by reacting automatically to the intense heat build-up of a present flame.
More particularly, the automatic fire shutter mechanism of the invention is intended to be employed within rack-mounted chassis systems. The shutter mechanism comprises a pair of apertured shutters, each of which include a plurality of holes therethrough. The holes within the respective shutters are patterned so as to be capable of being aligned with each other to allow the free flow of air therethrough and such that when the holes are non-aligned, the air flow is blocked and there is no path for the free passage of fire therethrough.
In the preferred embodiment, the shutters are spring-loaded to constantly urge the shutters into a non-aligned or closed position, but are normally retained in an aligned or open position by means of a fusible link. The fusible link preferably comprises a heat-sensitive material which fuses (i.e., breaks or melts) when the temperature exceeds a predetermined amount, whereupon the spring mechanism then urges the shutters to a non-aligned position to block the passage of fire therethrough. Accordingly, the chimney effect that would normally occur in prior art chassis systems is blocked upon closing of the shutters to their non-aligned position.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent and important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood so that the present contribution to the art can be more fully appreciated. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.